SC forms body to address industrial waste problem

Karachi
The Supreme Court formed a committee on Wednesday headed by the chief secretary to sort out the problems being faced in safely disposing of industrial waste in the city.
Hearing identical petitions filed against industrial waste pollution on the city’s harbour and in its coastal areas, a two-member bench of the apex court led by Justice Amir Hani Muslim observed that no substantial progress had been made despite repeated directives issued by the court in proceedings that were pending since 1992.
The court observed that earlier a committee headed by the attorney general of Pakistan had identified the issues and presented their solutions, however no progress had been made with the only exception of identifying lands for setting up treatment plants.
The court formed a committee comprising the chief secretary, the attorney general of Pakistan, the finance secretary, the board of revenue senior member and a representative of Sindh Industrial Trading Estate.
The committee will hold meetings within a month to sort out problems hindering the implementation of the suggestions endorsed by the court.
Adjourning the matter, the court directed the committee to ensure that substantial progress had been made.
Abdul Hafeez Pirzada, the counsel for SITE, said the industrial zone was willing to bear up to 40 percent cost of the treatment plant in the area.

Oil tankers terminal case
The apex court appointed its assistant protocol officer as a commissioner who will visit the site of the oil tanker trucks’ parking terminal in Zulfiqarabad area and submit a report.
The court was hearing a petition filed by Shugafta Bibi, a resident of Clifton Block-1, who had sent a letter to the chief justice of Pakistan asking him to order the shifting of the terminal from her locality.
The letter was converted it into a constitutional petition. The court was informed by the representative of the oil tanker trucks’ association that the progress on the terminal had come to a halt and some people had removed its board from the site.
The coordinator of the project, Faisal Saud, said the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation had not paid its share for the project, causing a delay in its completion.